Well hurricane Irene has come and gone. Having escaped major damage I am limited by no electricity and serenaded by the hum of generators. Very thankful and happy no one in my area was hurt - that is the most important thing.
I have tickets in hand for ZZ's show in Virginia Beach, VA on Sept 3rd. There is a possibility I may not be able to go if I am still without electricity. But the show date is still five days away so hopefully I'll get lucky.
The late summer shows have featured a shorter than usual set list, and for the first time I can remember there is no specific "blues" song being performed. No one works harder than ZZ (at least not anyone over 50 years old) but I'm sure many of us fans would prefer to see the band's energies redirected to more fruitful endeavors.
The group still has a pretty good number of shows to go. Those VIP packages, platinum or gold, are both rather expensive - too rich for my blood however if someone who reads this elects to partake of the experience please write in about your take and thoughts.
In my opinion only it is time to start thinking about the band ending it's aggressive touring days. The European and large scale American tours may come to an end after next year. I am confident the upcoming new release will be the final album from ZZ Top proper; there may be additional tours here and there but if you are holding out on seeing the group one or two or three final times it is probably a good idea to start buying tickets and making plans.
That being said I continue to remain of the mind next year will be very exciting, both with the new album and what is sure to be a new and updated live show. Looking back to the RCA era, both 1996 following Rhythmeen and 2003 during Mescalero were the best tours of latter ZZ. Perhaps 2012 will be another banner trek.
I really hope the group plays the Houston Rodeo next year - the perfect place to debut some new songs. And I would bet my bottom dollar that if the band decides to undertake a "final retirement" show it will occur in Houston in some form or fashion.
As always thank you to everyone for continuing to support this blog. Your comments, suggestions, critiques and criticisms are always welcome.
Have Mercy!
Hey, I'm glad you lived through Irene well, and I hope power will be back on soon so you can get your own personal ZZ experience this year!
ReplyDeleteDo you know Buddy Whittington, formerly of John Mayall's band, by any chance? I just recently listened to his self-titled solo album and he so reminds me of ZZ Top - or rather what ZZ Top should/could sound like on their upcoming album. He's actually been known for playing ZZ Top tunes to open for John Mayall, and he's releasing another solo album soon, of which I've already heard a song. It has all Billy's chops in it, and while I know that no-one can actually sound like the Reverend, Buddy probably gets closest to his fellow Texan than most anybody else.
I am not familiar with Buddy Whittington. Based on your suggestion however I will check him out. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteGlad you came through the storm OK. Hopefully you get your power back and can go to the show at Virginia Beach. You should know what to expect for the setlist.
ReplyDeleteJust saw them on 27 August, and yes, the slow blues tune was omitted. Otherwise, they ripped through the usual set list (there was a break before the encore). The band sounded great and was quite relaxed. Billy was animated, Dusty looked like he was enjoying himself, and even Frank was seen smiling. BFG had the Pick Chair, but here was, however, no “Tone Dog” on the stage. I would definitely try to see them again if they loop back this way this year.
Yes, the VIP is pricey, but the time for this sort of thing could be limited. The double whammy is the high price and the shorter set (the show is a double bill). It would have been nice if the old FC had these for the spring/summer tour where the band was solo. I would strongly consider the VIP if the show is a “single bill”, and is nearer to my area
I agree with your thoughts about the upcoming year. I am really looking forward to the new album and the new live show to support the album. Also, the FC site has a banner for the upcoming tribute album (bundled with a to-be-designed T-shirt).